U.S. Disaster Relief Efforts Hampered
Geopolitical struggles are complicating the efforts of American charities and disaster relief organizations to get aid to Myanmar, which is still reeling from the devastation wrought by the cyclone two weeks ago.

In an article in the Washington Post, Philip Rucker says “aid workers and supplies from some nonprofit groups are not being allowed into the country, and some of those charities said that they are refusing to funnel aid through the Burmese government. Instead of directing philanthropic dollars through the ruling junta government, some charities said they are directly assisting relief agencies on the ground in Burma.”

The geopolitical struggles haven’t stopped the American public from opening their wallets to help those victims of the storm. A number of US-based charities have launched drives to deliver money, rice, fresh water, plastic sheets and more to the area.

“This has touched a lot of people around the world, absolutely,” Patrick McCormick, a spokesperson for UNICEF, told Rucker. “The response has been very, very good.”

But a number of organizations are refusing to give the Burmese government any of those funds. According to Rucker, Direct Relief International has received cash donations from thousands of Americans and has a team of doctors waiting to be dispatched from Los Angeles, but because the agency’s workers have been denied visas to enter Burma, the charity is instead directing support through vetted partner organizations already there.

“The government has said they were open to charitable contributions, but they want to act as the coordinating body,” Brett Williams, Direct Relief International’s emergency response coordinator, told Rucker. “We’re not going to do that.”